Welcome to Graphic Design » Search Results » design trendshttp://www.graphicdesign.com
The Premier Address For All Things Graphic DesignWed, 11 Feb 2015 16:04:57 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=4.1.1A Brief History of Graphic Designhttp://www.graphicdesign.com/article/brief-history-graphic-design/
http://www.graphicdesign.com/article/brief-history-graphic-design/#commentsMon, 28 Jul 2014 10:16:22 +0000http://www.graphicdesign.com/?post_type=article&p=13137From the 30,000 year old prehistoric wall art in France’s Chauvet Cave, to the ad you just saw in a magazine or logo emblazed on a product, graphic design permeates our lives. It’s been a part of the human experience since that first primitive person discovered they could make marks on the walls in their cavernous home.

Chauvet – Cave Horses

A complete, detailed history of graphic design has filled numerous volumes and neither you, nor I, have that kind of time. So, this article will focus on graphic design’s more recent evolution and milestones of the 20th and 21st centuries.

But first, an acknowledgement and tip of the hat to a guy named Johannes Gensfleisch zur Laden Gutenberg. That’s a heck of a mouthful and probably why he’s known simply as Gutenberg, the man who brought us a process for mass-producing movable type. He also invented the use of oil-based ink and a type of wooden printing press. Good ‘ole Gut probably got the idea from the agricultural screw presses of the period. When he put them all together, he became the father of modern printing, something for which every graphic designer is indebted to him. Gut went on to print the The Gutenberg Bible. It shot to number one on the bestseller charts.

Johannes Gutenberg

Fast forward to the latter 19th century.

People were tired of the staunch formality of the Victorian Era. Fashion was, at best, uncomfortable, as were many social beliefs and attitudes. They were ready for a change and a big one at that.

Art, architecture, graphic design and literature were in the midst of a drastic transformation during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This post-industrial revolution period spawned the avant-garde and modernist movements. They, in turn, influenced several other movements over the years all of which influenced today’s graphic design in one way or another.

Art Nouveau

The Industrial Revolution and its aftermath changed pretty much everything. Modes of visual communication were no exception. Shortly afterward, the ideas and influence of writers such as Jules Verne and H.G. Wells had people looking forward to the wonders technology would bring.

In the 1890s, art, architecture and interior design brought forth many new and unconventional ideas that were a refreshing break from historic academic art and its neoclassical influences. Art nouveau gained popularity. It was a bridge, of sorts, between two very different notions – neoclassical and modern. Art nouveau sought to emphasize warm, fluid, natural forms over the cold and rigid influences of the Industrial Revolution and Victorian era.

Alfons Mucha – 1898 – Dance

La Libre Esthétique salon annuel,Exhibition poster, 1898

Nature was the inspiration for Art nouveau, shown in its use of softer forms, curved lines, plants, flowers, vines, insects, etc. Architects jumping on the art nouveau bandwagon sought to harmonize their designs with nature and the natural environment. Artists and artisans tapped art nouveau elements for their works and also everyday objects such as utensils, silverware and tableware, fabrics, jewelry and the like. A few of the better-known artists of the day include Aubrey Beardsley; Alphonse Mucha and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec.

Much More Than Flowery Curves

The early 20th century wasn’t all about flowers and flowing forms, though. It was a time of social and political unrest expressed in the art, graphics, architecture, literature and other creative mediums of the time. It was the time of several design movements, defined by public declarations and bold manifestos. While some chose to seek expanding the frontiers of aesthetic experience, others sought social and political reform. Their methods and mediums included literature, posters, architecture and the applied art of everyday objects.

The Rise Of The Avant-Garde And Modernism

Although its roots are found in military terminology, particularly vanguard, a term meaning an advance or front guard, avant-garde came to mean people whose work was slightly left of the accepted center, experimental, new and unique. At times, exciting, other times, dangerous. Its practitioners were bold and courageous, tossing aside conventional social standards, practices and beliefs.

Alongside the avant-garde were the modernists who believed in the power of human beings to improve their environment. With the aid of technology, scientific knowledge and experimentation, modernists sought to rebel against the formal attitudes and historical influences, traditions and attitudes of the Victorian era. They promoted their modern worldview with new social, political and economic attitudes.

Constructivism

Beginning in Russia, circa 1914, constructionists used art and design as a voice and tool for social change. In Russia’s case, it was a tool for the construction of a Socialist state. Artist and graphic designers sought to create works that would take the viewer out of their traditional setting and make them an active participant in the artwork. Their blending of art with political engagement reflected the revolutionary attitude of the time and the violent uprising that was to come.

A major player and influencer at the time was Russian-born, Lazar Markovich Lissitzky, known to many as simply El Lissitzky. He was a multitalented artist, designer, photographer, typographer, and architect. El Lissitzky greatly influenced the Bauhaus and constructivist movements. He also experimented with production techniques and stylistic devices that would go on to dominate 20th century graphic design.

Malevich Krasnodar

Other Significant Movements of the Early 20th century

The early 20th century certainly wasn’t boring when it came to art and design movements. The avant-garde and modernism not only broke ground for art nouveau and constructivism; they were also a springboard for design movements including Dada, Futurism, Bauhaus and Art Deco.

Collectively, these movements, styles or trends reflected an attitude of change and the adoption of technologies that would [hopefully] benefit mankind. The automobile, airplane, telephone, wide access to electricity, etc. also meant people needed to devise new systems of social life and behaviors that played nice with these new technologies.

Art Deco

Most people today, even if they have no connection to art, design or architecture, can identify the art deco style. The movement is associated with the carefree 1920s, a time when skirts were short and parties were long, people danced the Charleston and listened to jazz. Many saw this post-World War I period as a time that would usher in a new and prosperous age. Art deco reflected these hopes and attitudes … in a rather grandiose manner that oozed wealth.

The style tapped elements of futurism and cubism, along with others from painting styles of the time. Deco elements are easily identified – zigzags, dynamic curves, chevron patterns, sunbursts and stepped forms are common to designs of the time. Bold color palettes were also used to define the style. Art deco colors are often bright pink, coral red, yellow, blue and pastel greens, often found in tropical art. Art deco typically used materials such as aluminum, stainless steel, lacquer, inlaid wood and sharkskin.

Ukrainian-French poster and typeface designer, A.M. Cassandre, was an important figure in art deco. He designed the typefaces Bifur in 1929, the sans-serif Acier Noir in 1935, and in 1937 an all-purpose, although often decorative, typestyle called Peignot. Peignot is often used in cinema and television. It was used for the Beatles 1965 movie, Help! and went on to adorn the credits of the movie, Love Story and the title of the Mary Tyler Moore Show in the1970s.

Cassandre opened an ad agency, Alliance Graphique, where he created a series of posters for his client, the Dubonnet wine company. In a form follows function triumph, Cassandre designed these deco style posters to be seen by people passing by in streamlined trains and automobiles.

Cassandre

All good things must come to an end and it was the same for art deco. Although the movement was a casualty of World War II, the style is still popular and continues to influence graphic designers today.

Beyond Art Deco/strong>

On the heels of art deco’s perception of wealth and prosperity was The Great Depression in the U.S during the 1930s. While it was an enormously difficult era for many Americans, it was also a time when graphic design shined and creativity was on the fast track. Much of this was due to President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s creation of the Work Projects Administration, commonly known as the WPA.

Salut Au MondeWPA poster

The WPA was established when the U.S. Congress passed the Emergency Relief Appropriation Act of 1935 in an effort to create jobs for the hordes of unemployed citizens. The WPA is primarily known for the construction of public buildings and roads. However, a lesser know offshoot, Federal Project Number One created opportunities for many creative individuals in music, theater and drama, literature and, yes, graphic design. The most notable of which are the poster designs of the WPA. Many of these designers tapped elements from earlier design movements and influences in their works for the WPA. Graphic designers of the WPA included Katherine Milhous, Erik Hans Krause, Vera Bock and Anthony Velonis among others.

SeptemberWPA poster

Graphic design continued to evolve in the modern style after World War II. The 1950s saw the rise of the Swiss Style also called the International Typographic Style, given its emphasis on typography. The Swiss style focused on the grid system to provide order and structure to a design. It was also known for sans-serif typefaces, primarily the utilitarian Helvetica which was introduced in 1957. Yes, it’s hard to believe there actually was a time before Helvetica.

The Swiss / International Typographic style made a lot of sense when used in visual communications during the globalization of the post-war marketplace. Its tight structure projects a sense of clarity and simplicity while rapidly getting to the point of a design’s message.

The 1960s may have seen the dawning of the Age of Aquarius, but it also saw a rise in consumerism; pop culture; the youth movement; feminist movement and the Black movement, all punctuated by the Vietnam War. Psychedelia was a cultural revolution in music, fashion, language, art, literature and philosophy. Graphic design followed its lead with poster designs that sought to emulate the psychedelic drug experience of hallucinogens such as LSD. In many ways, psychedelic art and design was a throw back to art nouveau’s fluid curves and shapes, but also emphasized intense colors that simulated movement and hand-drawn, smoke-like lettering.

Wes Wilson was not only the leading designer of psychedelic posters, he’s credited with inventing the style. Many of his poster designs were created to promote rock concerts at Bill Graham’s venue, The Fillmore, in San Francisco. The pop and op art movements of the 1960 also included innovators Jasper Johns; Robert Rauschenberg; Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol.

On the graphic design front during the 1950 –1960 were several noted designers including: Paul Rand, one of the originators of the Swiss style; Alexey Brodovich, whose editorial design work with Harper’s Bazaar magazine is timeless; Bradbury Thompson and his devotion to form and structure that continues to influence graphic designers; Saul Bass and his innovative motion picture title design; Herb Lubalin and his publication design and typographical works, along with designing ITC’s Avant Garde typestyle; Milton Glaser and his iconic “I [heart] Love New York logo as well as his now famous, multi-colored Bob Dylan profile poster (Which, by the way, Dylan initially rejected in favor of a typographic treatment for his book jacket.)

Graphic Design Meets Computer Technology

Everything changed in 1984 when Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak introduced the first Apple Macintosh computer. Graphic design entered the computer age where designers could set their own type and play with layouts on screen. Computers enabled faster workflow and, as a result, the opportunity to experiment and break boundaries that had previously hampered design possibilities.

The so-called Father of Grunge, David Carson, authored and published The End of Print in 1995. This groundbreaking book changed the public face of graphic design, according to Newsweek Magazine. Carson’s work in Beach Culture, Surfer and Ray Gun magazines demonstrated his ideas for experimental typography that were deemed innovative, even by those who didn’t like the style. Many designers and critics accused Carson of being “flippant and destroying the communicative basis of design.” Still, grunge entered the mainstream with designers working in advertising, print, the Web and motion pictures imitating his techniques.

Computer-based design also brought attention to April Greiman, whose pioneering work with computers and digital design helped to establish new standards and possibilities. Greiman is credited with establishing the New Wave design style in the US during the late 70s and early 80s with Wolfgang Weingart.

Like the designers and movements that came before, New Wave desired change. Those who aligned with it rejected the strict grid-based design of the Swiss and international typographic style. New Wave design’s use of inconsistent letterspacing, varying type weights within single words and type set at unusual angles broke traditional rules and created a new interpretation of typography and graphic design.

Today, graphic design is much more than ink on a printed page. It encompasses digital and Web design along with user interface design, 3-D, gaming and motion graphics. None of it would be possible if not for the designers who courageously paved the way for us.

Over the years, graphic design has certainly evolved and so has our professional description. In the past we were known as graphic artists and commercial artists.

Graphic design has become so broad that some designers believe the title graphic designer no longer accurately describes our profession, what we do and the value we bring to our clients’ tables. As such, many have begun to call themselves communication designers rather than graphic designers.

Whatever you choose to call your professional self, those who take the time to learn and understand their professional roots are the ones who will take graphic design into its next incarnation. What that will be is anyone’s guess, but if history teaches and guides us it will no doubt involve a hefty dose of change, breaking the existing rules and social beliefs while riding the technological wave to parts as yet, unknown.

Enjoy the ride!

“Life is divided into three terms – that which was, which is, and which will be. Let us learn from the past to profit by the present, and from the present, to live better in the future.” ~ William Wordsworth

]]>http://www.graphicdesign.com/article/brief-history-graphic-design/feed/0Type On Screen: The design challenge of digital typography, A Book Review and Interviewhttp://www.graphicdesign.com/article/type-on-screen-book-review/
http://www.graphicdesign.com/article/type-on-screen-book-review/#commentsWed, 18 Jun 2014 09:09:52 +0000http://www.graphicdesign.com/?post_type=article&p=12691Those are the obvious choices. But, there are also subjective issues to consider when selecting a font or set of fonts. These include kerning and letter-spacing, line spacing or leading for those of us who remember a life before the Web. What about the font’s emotional value? How well does it align with the project’s goals and audience?

Then there’s always the design’s delivery media to consider. Will it be print or digital? If digital, will it be desktop computers, mobile, tablets, etc. This is where the new book, Type on Screen, comes in handy. More than handy, actually, especially for those of us came up through the ranks by way of print.

Type On Screen is a compilation of essays, insights and practical know-how when designing for type on screen applications. This outstanding book was authored by a team of graduate students and faculty of Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) and edited by Ellen Lupton. Type On Screen is the sixth in the Design Handbook series published by the Princeton Architectural Press and MICA.

Type On Screen: The design challenge of digital typographyCover

The book’s pages explore the use of digital type across a range of devices, its history and evolution, as well as providing an understanding of digital type in action. In addition, the book features numerous case studies that demonstrate how designers are applying digital type to solve real-world design challenges.

Lupton provides excellent, practical information for Web / Graphic designers who might need a refresher course in typography. The tome is a designer handbook that’s extremely useful, if not mandatory, especially for folks with a print background. For instance before the Web, I designed mostly for print. Back then, my office walls were covered with type and foundry posters. I could identify typestyles with barely more than a glance. Then came the Web. My head was stuffed with typography for print. I had little space in my brain to store digital type information. That’s a nice way of saying I got lazy. Why remember all sorts of font factoids when I could simply hop on the Web and use Identifont.com or similar resource?

And so, it goes.

Type On Screen: The design challenge of digital typographyContents

Early in the book, Ellen cites Oliver Reichenstein’s comment, “Web design is 95 percent typographic.” A brief look at websites reveals Reichenstein is correct. As a connected species, we humans are bombarded with words on screens each and every day. But, typography, it seems, is given little thought in many cases. Today, we seem more focused on tools and techniques at the cost of fine typography.

Type On Screen: The design challenge of digital typographyPages 10-11

I had a chance to catch up with Ellen and ask a few questions about typographic matters when viewed on screen. She graciously shared the following thoughts and comments.

NT: It seems some of today’s designers treat type on screen as a second fiddle to the other elements within a screen-based vehicle. Do you think this might be due to the perceived casual nature of the medium?

EL: Attention to the typographic potential of screen-based media has grown a lot in the past few years, along with expanded access to web fonts. Quite a few designers—such as Jessica Hische, Jason Santa Maria, and Elliott Jay Stocks—are bringing refinement and subtlety to digital reading experience. Users and clients are seeing the value in better typography.

NT: Who are the type designers that have influenced you the most over your career?

EL: My personal favorite is the Dutch type designer Martin Majoor. I have used his beautiful typeface Scala since the early 90s, and I have been thrilled to see this functional and elegant type family expand to include Scala Sans. Martin is a brilliant typographic thinker. Equally high on my list is Peter Bilak. Not only has Peter designed some of the most usable and intriguing typefaces of our time, he has been a huge advocate for the value of design and typography worldwide through his website and his publishing projects.

NT: How many students and faculty were involved with Type On Screen? Were they all designers or where there team members from other, complimentary disciplines?

EL: All in all, around twenty graduate students played a role in developing the design and content of Type on Screen. A core team of six took on the lion’s share of the research and writing. They did an amazing job seeking out great examples and evidence of best practices in digital typography.

NT: Can you provide readers with some insights and advice about where digital typography is heading and how designers make the most of it?

EL: We are seeing a greater expectation that text on screen will have print-worthy features such as ligatures, correct quotation marks, and paragraph indents. Clients are expecting more integration between branding on screen and branding as applied to environments, packaging, and print publications. Unfortunately, the screen environment remains extremely diverse, not just in terms of the size of devices but with regard to the multitude of browsers and screen resolutions. The work of creating screen-based typography isn’t going to get easy any time soon.

Type On Screen: The design challenge of digital typographyPages 18-19

NT: Do you have any suggestions for both graduates and veteran designers charting their typographical course so they don’t get left behind, wondering what happened?

EL: There are some great books, blogs, and online tutorials that can help designers create more elegant and communicative typography. Conferences are also a fun and social way to see what’s going on in the world of design across media. A designer’s education is never finished, because the demands and technologies keep changing. Our goal collectively as a profession is to keep the quality as high as possible.

Type On Screen should be required reading for every Web/ graphic design student. Pros will benefit from it as well. Type On Screen is sure to become a staple in every Web designer’s growing library.

Type On Screen: The design challenge of digital typography

Graphic designers and other type-lovers in the New York City area have the opportunity to meet the author at a book signing to be held at The Strand Bookstore, June 26: 7:00PM – 8:00PM. The Strand is located at 828 Broadway, Manhattan, NY (the corner of 12th Street and Broadway). More information can be found on the Strand website.

About The Editor
Ellen Lupton is no stranger to typography, whether it’s delivered digitally or by print. She is the author of thirteen books published by PAPress, including Thinking with Type (more than 100,000 sold and translated into ten languages), Graphic Design: The New Basics, and Graphic Design Thinking.

Ellen Lupton

She is director of the Graphic Design MFA program at Maryland Institute College of Art located in Baltimore. In addition, Ellen serves as the Director of the Center for Design Thinking at MICA. Lupton is also the Curator of Contemporary Design at the Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum since 1992, where she’s produced numerous exhibitions and books.

Lupton has contributed to various publications, including Print, Eye, I.D., and Metropolis. She has published essays and illustrations in The New York Times. A frequent lecturer around the U.S. and the world, Lupton will speak about design to anyone who will listen.

About the Authoring Team
A team of MICA graduate students and faculty authored Type On Screen. Their insights and thoughts provide readers with a range of diverse typographic information, topics and issues relating to the digital delivery of type.

Within the first four chapters authors address shaping written content whether it be a book, article, blog, ad or other delivery method. They go on to explore in-depth concepts such as branding and logo design, the evolution of type and motion graphics and the history of digital typography. These topics are punctuated with engaging, robust graphics, references and much more. Also addressed is the ever-changing use of malleable typography with icons, logos, wayfinding, navigation, menus and the like.

About MICAMICA is a leader in the education of artists and designers since 1826. The college believes in fostering a community of talented, creative individuals committed to redefining the boundaries of art and design and to expanding their own vision and perspective through rigorous study.

Since 1978, MICA’s innovative curriculum, well-equipped campus, and world-class faculty all have a single purpose: provide the education, experiences, and resources needed to prepare the artist and designers who will lead in the 21st century.

The college enrolls 1,863 undergraduate and 306 graduate students from 48 states and 54 foreign countries, offering programs of study leading to the bachelor of fine arts (B.F.A.), master of arts (M.A.), master of fine arts (M.F.A.) degrees, and master of professional studies degrees (M.P.S), as well as post-baccalaureate certificate programs and a full slate of credit and noncredit courses for adults, college-bound students, and children.

About Princeton Architectural Press
Celebrating its thirty-second year, Princeton Architectural Press (PAP) is a world leader in architecture and design publishing, both in market share and in editorial and design excellence. With over 1000 titles published, PAP has consistently sought team up with the best in the design and architectural fields to publish in-depth information for its authors’ readers.

PAP build a solid, respected reputation by identifying new trends and publishing first books on emerging talents, as well as by creating books of unsurpassed design quality and production values.

]]>http://www.graphicdesign.com/article/type-on-screen-book-review/feed/0Jay York On Twitter Tweaks – What they mean to graphic designershttp://www.graphicdesign.com/article/twitter-tweaks-impact-on-graphic-designers/
http://www.graphicdesign.com/article/twitter-tweaks-impact-on-graphic-designers/#commentsWed, 30 Apr 2014 12:56:04 +0000http://www.graphicdesign.com/?post_type=article&p=12163The social media is one of those rapidly evolving environments where what’s hot today is passé tomorrow. We’ve all seen Facebook become a communication staple of modern society and also an ever morphing entity. Twitter isn’t far behind.

In fact, the recent Twitter redesign incorporates several elements that are reminiscent of Facebook and Google+. A focus on visuals is apparent, including a large header image and stepping away from its strict vertical layout.

Jay York

I hooked up with Jay York to get his thoughts on the Twitter redesign and how it will impact graphic designers and their clients. York is an Internet marketing expert with extensive experience in marketing dating back to the early days of MySpace and LiveJournal. He’s currently a social media strategist with EMSI Public Relations, based in Wesley Chapel (Tampa), Florida.

Q. Graphic designers are, by default, redesign savvy and welcome many design changes with open arms. The Web and its child, social media, are no exception. How do you see the recent Twitter redesign efforts effecting graphic designers and their clients?

Jay: Graphic designers are sure to love these updates. With larger spaces in which to work, graphic designers will have a bigger canvas to express themselves and the brands for which they work. A bigger profile banner that stretches across the landscape of the page and an oversized profile image will mean design moves to the forefront of the brand’s Twitter profile. These spaces will, without a doubt, become a playground for creative juices to flow, in line with what we saw after past design changes. This will immediately affect designers, who will be tasked with updating their clients’ new profile layouts, as well as their own. GDs may even see more work coming in as brands update their banners more frequently.

Clients will be affected right away, as once their pages change over, their old designs won’t suffice. Good news for all the Graphic Designers out there!

Q: In your opinion, are these design changes a positive move for Twitter? If so, why?

Jay: I see this as a positive move for Twitter on the heels of poorly received Facebook updates that are adversely affecting brand pages. Twitter’s updates bring design, imagery and content to the forefront of the Twitter profile. Making these spaces more interesting means people will spend more time designing them, as well as viewing/enjoying them. This is a feature that Twitter lifted directly from Facebook, with good reason. Twitter has an immense user base and people are happy with the fact that it has remained consistent as a platform, but it needed design changes. Still, they’re absolutely designed to directly compete with Facebook—especially on behalf of brands.

Q: Many redesigns are little more than a visual Band-Aid®. Do you feel these Twitter changes are purely aesthetic, or do they provide enhanced function?

Jay: Great question. The simplicity of these updates could lead one to claim they’re a “visual Band-Aid®,” however, the implications and the obvious poke at Facebook suggest a much more strategic approach from Twitter. The Twitter profile will certainly become a more enticing place to visit, which will offer considerable utility to brands looking to grow their followings and market their products. Pair that with the added functionality of being able to “pin” a tweet to the top of your profile and I have to say, the scales tip slightly to “enhanced function.”

Q: These days, a social media presence is expected and even required for graphic designers and the clients they serve. But, with so many social media vehicles, such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pintrest, etc., how can a designer make smart choices as to where they should invest their time and efforts?

Jay: I think it’s an excellent idea to maintain Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn accounts, even if you aren’t planning to buy ads. These are great places to connect with potential clients and get them over to your website. You can also utilize your current connections to expand your reach and expose yourself to new people. Potential clients can see that you’re up to date and privy to social networks. It’s a great opportunity to show how you use design for yourself, and give them an idea of how you can make it work for them. Personally, I love Instagram for graphic designers to show their work in a very targeted fashion. You can follow potential clients on Instagram, post images of your latest designs and pair it all with highly targeted hashtags, especially those that represent your geographic location. For instance, if you’re a graphic designer in Tampa you can hashtag based on Tampa, or communities within Tampa. This is not a saturated platform and you’ll be surprised how you can gain followers just based on your artistic eye.

In the end, the best thing you can do is experiment and see what works best for you. If you find that you get 80% of your leads from Twitter, see how you can tweak it to get even more. Or take that as an opportunity to see how you can utilize the other platforms better. There are truly opportunities in every direction. Also, don’t forget that your IRL friends, family and associates are great avenues to drive traffic and sales. They’ll also be willing to help you promote yourself on social media — after all, you did help them move that one time.

Q: Looking down the road a bit, where do you see Social Media going and how can graphic designers make the best use of it for both their business and their clients’ businesses?

Jay: You’ll never hear me call myself a “Digital Prophet,” but I see two potential outcomes:

Outcome One: Social media continues to grow, connecting people all over the world around ideas, images, memes, news and the like. The main platforms of today still control the bulk of social media users, but make minor tweaks that keep people engaged and happy. This could mean reverting to old systems, or adopting new ones meant to positively impact the user experience. Social media becomes a part of life and benefits worldwide politics, human rights efforts and more as humans around the planet are more easily connected to a concept. We’ve already seen this happen, but as we get closer to a unifying language, it will become more and more powerful. People connect with augmented reality devices, holographic displays, optical displays like Google Glass, etc.

Outcome Two:Social media continues to grow as a cultural phenomenon, however, the platform competition get heavier. Eventually one or more of our most popular networks dies out, either due to redundancy, or updates that upset users en masse. Users seek out a simpler, more streamlined service that focuses on a more core group of friends and family, and less on acquaintances. These changes have an affect on society, as closer friends become more connected through events shared throughout the group. Events invites become relevant again because they’re from a core group of people and not some random person you met 6 or 7 months ago.

But really, who knows? In the end it’s up to a cultural shift that will either be brought on by social realization or technological change.

The best way to use social media for yourself and your clients is to take advantage of all of the opportunities it allows you. For a Graphic Designer, it pays to have clients requesting more and more designs for different platforms that emerge. Graphic Designers can also encourage their clients to adopt current platforms as well as new ones, giving themselves larger orders and increasing revenues.

Take advantage of Facebook Ads, Twitter Lists, LinkedIn Groups and Directory info, as well as the geotargeting on Instagram. Market yourself well and take notice of what works and what doesn’t—read the words of other artists, marketing companies, social media managers, etc. Stay up on the trends and impress potential clients with your acumen. As with the latest versions of Photoshop or Illustrator, learn the new tools, updates and the best practices for using them.

Q: Do you have any additional thoughts, insights or comments about the social media environment and the continual flow of design changes?

Jay: Expect more changes, especially in the design department, as Twitter and Facebook brawl over users. Facebook hasn’t changed its profile or banner images in several years, so we might see an answer to Twitter’s updates in that department. As these giants move further away from their IPO’s, they’ll try to impress their stockholders more and more. In the end, the happiness of the users, brands, and people like me working for a social media marketing agency will always remain incredibly important. Balancing between pleasing stockholders and users will take some careful and measured strategy. It will be interesting to see who does it best.

Those who reap the benefits of social media are designers who seek a solid understanding of social media and keep up-to-date on platform changes. In addition to their own social media presence, many graphic designers also set up, design and manage their clients’ social media presence.

Each day, more and more client-types are finding they need to add a strategic social media plan to their marketing mix. That need spells opportunity for those savvy graphic designers who add social media to their services. If a graphic designer isn’t already onboard the social media train, now is a good time to make the leap. It just might avoid a train wreck down the road.

]]>http://www.graphicdesign.com/article/twitter-tweaks-impact-on-graphic-designers/feed/0Do You Make These Logo Design Mistakes?http://www.graphicdesign.com/article/logo-design-mistakes/
http://www.graphicdesign.com/article/logo-design-mistakes/#commentsMon, 14 Apr 2014 19:56:00 +0000http://www.graphicdesign.com/?post_type=article&p=12090These less-than logosmiths tend to make the same mistakes over and over. At least they’re consistent. When it comes to art and science of logo design, there are cardinal rules that should be followed if a design is to be successful. Let’s have a look at a few of these all too common faux pas, blunders, solecisms and erroneous outcomes.

Mistake #1: Giving the client too much authority

I can hear it now. “Giving the client too much authority? But they’re the client.” While that’s true, the client hired you to do something they can’t. Human shortcomings are why we have all kinds of professions, trades and such. When there’s something we need, but can’t (or won’t) do for ourselves we hire someone with those skills and talents. It makes the world go around.

When a designer gives too much authority to their client they can easily set themselves up for trouble. That’s why it’s so important to have a contract or letter of agreement that clearly spells out who is responsible for what, by when and for how much. Beyond those basics, the agreement should establish boundaries for the client/designer relationship. In other words, “You do this. I do that.”

In addition, a graphic designer had better be prepared to defend their design and thinking. Pulling design elements out of the air isn’t usually the best idea. Every element that makes up an overall design should be there, or, in some cases, not be there for a reason. Walking the client through the rationale and reasoning demonstrates a higher degree of strategy behind the logo. That tends to be so much better than, “Yeah … I found this really cool font and that blue’s pretty nifty, too.”

Mistake #2: Failure to accurately understand the specifics of the project brief

When a designer doesn’t gather enough or the right kind of information, they end up designing in a vacuum and the logo can be doomed from the start. Research is critical for a design to be effective, on-target and do the job that’s needed.

When a graphic designer is hired to design a logo, they must ask the right kind of questions; learn as much as possible about the client; their history; plans for the future; the client’s business; industry; competition and audience. Those are just the tip of the logo design process iceberg. Logo designs are dependent upon quality research, well before putting a pencil to paper or finger to mouse.

Mistake #3: Relying too heavily of software

Don’t get me wrong. Software is great stuff and gives designers the ability to work in today’s environment. But, jumping on their trusty computer too quickly can result in logo designs that don’t reach their full potential.

Going straight to digital erodes and sometimes completely halts a very important element of logo design – exploration. Digital designs tend to have a finished look and feel. Preliminary sketching on this stuff called paper provides a sense of design freedom. Ideas come up that wouldn’t have by going straight to digital.

Another problem when going right into digital design development is the tendency or temptation to create elements within a design that can drive up reproduction costs. Gradients, too many colors and the like can mean the need to produce expensive branding materials. For example, a logo might demand the use of process color or several spot colors to work. That means printed marketing materials, signage, etc. can be awfully expensive not too far down the road.

Mistake #4: Logos that rely too heavily on color

A cousin to mistake #3 is creating a mark that only works in color. If a mark doesn’t work in black and white, color usually won’t help it. And, as with mistake #3, it can get expensive.

When testing a mark, converting it to black and white is a good idea. Does it become weak when the stunning colors go away? Strong logos maintain their strength when reproduced in black and white or one color as well as multiple colors.

Mistake #5: Not testing the designs

While I’m on the subject, beyond testing color and black and white, also test your design very large and very small. Your stunning design might work great when it’s used on a signage application. But, when it’s reduced for an item such as a USB drive or keychain, not so much. Elements that were easy to read in larger applications might tend to plug up, disappear or become illegible when reproduced in smaller applications.

Mistake #6: “Borrowing” from an existing design or a logo’s elements

Don’t. Enough said.

Mistake #7: Using Photoshop or other raster image editors

Like #6, don’t do this. Ever! Logos should always be produced as vector. Think Illustrator, Inkscape or other vector drawing program.

Why?

Logos are reproduced in a variety of media, mediums and applications. If a designer designed a logo in Photoshop at, say, 400 pixels wide, that’s as big as it can go without a loss in quality. Take that logo up to 600 or 800 pixels and it’s going to turn into fuzzy, pixilated mush. Raster, or bitmapped images are a set size. You may be able to go down in size, but going up is the kiss of branding death.

If I had a dime for every time a client sent me a small 72 dpi logo from their site to use in a brochure, I’d be living in the tropics sipping exotic coconut-laden drinks. Oh. Wait. I do live in the tropics. Nevermind. You get the idea.

Mistake#8: Being trendy

Logo design trends come and logo design trends go. Designing a trendy mark might win you an award. It might also lose you a client or at least do them a serious disservice.

A logo, in most cases, has a pretty long shelf life. A life expectancy of 20 years or more isn’t unusual. Just look at the Twinings Tea logo that was designed circa 1770 and has remained unchanged. You don’t see many 21st century fashioistas making a statement in 18th century garb. Powdered wigs aren’t that big now days, either.

Twinings of London

A logo that’s based on a trend probably won’t be around for very long before it needs an overhaul or complete redesign.

Good design has two qualities – simplicity and timelessness.

One of my design school instructors drilled a notion into my head – Simplicity is the basis of design. Words to live by.

Simplicity and timelessness go hand-in-hand and they’re the nemesis of design trends. Consider the work of Paul Rand. His designs are as fresh, vibrant and relevant today as when he designed them many years ago.

Mistake #9: Making bad choices

Okay … I took a shortcut. Rather than write about numerous options and opportunities to make bad choices, I elected to lump them together since they have one major thing in common – appropriateness.

Two common mistakes involve choice of color(s) and typography. Using too many colors within a logo design can, as mentioned, make it expensive to reproduce. It can also result in a logo that looks like a visual circus. At times, that might be the desired effect, but those circumstances are a bit on the rare side.

CMYK swatchbook

Also, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention supplying both CMYK as well as RGB breakdowns as well as spot color information. This information is typically supplied in a logo/corporate identity standards document and that’s a topic for another article.

Typography and color should be appropriate for the audience along with aligning to the client’s branding and positioning goals. For example, if a client’s audience is senior citizens, typography should be legible, even in small point sizes. Reverse text or funky typographic treatments might not be great ideas, either. Always keep the audience in the forefront of your mind throughout the process.

Consider the emotional effects of your type choices. Fonts speak volumes simply by the way they were designed. One typestyle might evoke a sense of fun while another is reserved and formal. By clearly understanding your client’s branding and positioning goals, you can make more appropriate typographic choices. For instance, let’s say the client is a well-established law firm with a 75-year history. A classic typeface such as Caslon 540 might be a perfect choice. While Caslon 540 might be great for the law firm, Univers Extra Black Extended Oblique wouldn’t be so hot. But, Univers Extra Black Extended Oblique might be just right for a client seeking positioning that’s strong, progressive and one-the-move.

Cason 540

Mistake #10: Forgetting what graphic design is all about

In understanding what graphic design is all about, it’s important to learn what it’s not.

Graphic design isn’t art. It’s a communication tool. I’ve had death threats for saying that, but I stand by my opinion. Okay … okay … nobody threatened me, but it was a useful device for making a point.

Sure, graphic design seems a lot like art and the two share many traits. When you strip away all the jargon, heady definitions and such, art is about pleasing the artist. It’s personal.

Graphic design is about finding a relevant and appropriate solution to a problem. Your solution may be one of several possibilities, but it’s still all about solving the problem at-hand for your client, which is yet another topic for article. It’s commercial.

Mistakes are everywhere, both in our business life and our personal life. It’s how we react to them that’s paramount. Thomas Edison is credited with saying (pardon my paraphrase), “I didn’t fail. I found 3000 ways to not make a light bulb.”

Some designers will say, “Oh geez! I’m so stupid for making that mistake.” You’re not stupid. Making mistakes is human. I can pretty much guarantee Milton Glaser, Stefan Sagmeister, Neville Brody and every other influential graphic designer out there made their fair share of mistakes along the way to graphic design superstardom. I don’t think they thought, “I’m stupid.” They likely thought something along the lines of, “Well, that didn’t work. Mental note: Don’t do that again.”

Mistakes are very valuable lessons. They’re how we learn. Hopefully a graphic designer will make the lion’s share of their mistakes early on. But, if they don’t, there’s still hope in the mistakes that lie on the horizon.

]]>http://www.graphicdesign.com/article/logo-design-mistakes/feed/2Kory Grushka Interview: Talking Branding and Package Designhttp://www.graphicdesign.com/article/kory-grushka-interview-branding-package-design/
http://www.graphicdesign.com/article/kory-grushka-interview-branding-package-design/#commentsMon, 07 Apr 2014 18:29:48 +0000http://www.graphicdesign.com/?post_type=article&p=12010Grushka had this to say about his passion for packaging design: “I have always been obsessed with branding and design, and I’ve always been drawn to the food and beverage space. Even as a lawyer, I would occasionally take on freelance work for large and small restaurants and non-profits. Was just the perfect fit for me at the end of the day.”

Works Design Group

The Creative Process

When creating a new package or brand identity, a solid plan of action is an integral part of the creative process. Grushka touched on Works Design Group’s brainstorming process: “Whenever we take on a new branding or package design project, we often start by creating (or closely reviewing) a creative brief. Brainstorming is an iterative process for us, as we begin brainstorming when the project is introduced, and then we continue doing so as we build the creative brief and dig in with research.”

He continued, “In terms of formal brainstorming sessions, that generally comes after the preliminary research has been completed. Depending on the nature and scale of the project, we will sit down with 3-5+ members of the design and account team for structured sessions. The format will vary, but the key ingredients are that we generally have a moderator, always have a time limit, and always have specific goals in mind.”

http://worksdesigngroup.com/services/

Grushka explains the keys to making a packaging design stand out: “The key in my opinion is to have a deep understanding of the context where the product will live. The key is to study what the competitive products are, what environments will be home to the product (i.e., what stores and what sections within the stores), and even how the product is priced or will be priced as compared to its competitors. You need to really understand the world in which the product lives—and how it will be positioned—so you can create an appropriate design that is creative, distinctive and eye catching. The nuance comes in creating maximum shelf impact while staying within the parameters of the project.”

He continues, “In order to be a great package designer, you need to be able to step into your client’s shoes, and understand the business problem that is being addressed by the project at hand. I think you can do this by taking business courses in school, reading business magazines and books, and/or just keeping up with the industries for which you are designing.”

Pace Fire SalsaClient: Campbell Soup Company

Citing Pace as a recent example of exciting new branding: “We recently designed a line of super hot salsas for Pace Salsa, where we were allowed the flexibility to create a truly differentiated brand as compared to most national salsas on the shelf.”

When designing, it is important to always keep things fresh and exciting. This year, Works Design Group branded a line of craft beers; last year, a premium carrot cake brand; and the year before that, it was a chocolate cello bottle.

http://www.veuve-clicquot.com

Upcoming Trends

A new year brings all new design trends. Grushka gave us some insight into what he is most excited about seeing: “I really like seeing a packaging design that is totally new for a given product category, and perhaps even borrowed from another category. For instance, water in a milk carton, or in an opaque black bottle. I also think there are some amazing things happening in the world of functional packaging.”

“Veuve champagne, for example, just released a package that doubles as an ice bucket. And of course, simple and uncluttered design is a must these days… it’s a trend that most everyone will follow for the foreseeable future in the packaging world (as in most other areas of design).”

Final Words of Wisdom

For those involved or interested in package design, Grushka leaves this: “I think the most important piece of advice is to be extremely self-motivated. Be very curious and stay on top of the latest trends and news – particularly in your industry, but also outside of it. And always keep working on side projects that are outside of your comfort zone.”

We look forward to seeing more branding and packaging designs from Kory Grushka and Works Design Group.

]]>http://www.graphicdesign.com/article/kory-grushka-interview-branding-package-design/feed/0Build Your Next App on Watson – IBM Announces Watson Mobile Developer Challengehttp://www.graphicdesign.com/article/ibm-announces-watson-mobile-developer-challenge/
http://www.graphicdesign.com/article/ibm-announces-watson-mobile-developer-challenge/#commentsMon, 31 Mar 2014 11:01:55 +0000http://www.graphicdesign.com/?post_type=article&p=11914The three-month, global competition is designed with the goal of encouraging developers to create consumer and business mobile apps using Watson’s powerful “cognitive technology” which allows for more human-like processing of information.

Readers may recall Watson’s capabilities on display when it beat Jeopardy! champion Ken Jennings two years ago. As Mike Rhodin, Senior Vice President, IBM Watson Group, stated in a press release: “The power of Watson in the palm of your hand is a game-changing proposition, so we’re calling on mobile developers around the world to start building cognitive computing apps infused with Watson’s intelligence.”

IBM Watson Group Unveils Cloud-Delivered Watson ServicesCredit: IBM

The announcement of the IBM Watson Mobile Developer Challenge came as part of Rometty’s keynote address at Mobile World Live in Barcelona last month, where she spoke about “key shifts changing the technology industry” as well as what she sees as three industry defining trends—“data, cloud and engagement.”

Describing this as both an “exciting” and “disruptive” time for “every one in every industry,” Rometty used data on mobile trends to help highlight Watson’s potential applications in the areas of “medicine, financial services, retail and travel” while establishing context for the challenge announcement.

Infographic: IBM MobileFirst datagram Credit: IBM

Contrasting Watson as a service offering as opposed to a device, Rometty invited “content providers, software developers, clients, you name it…” to rise to the challenge of building businesses “on top of Watson.” At the end of the challenge three winners will be selected to join the Watson Ecosystem Program, receive design consulting and support from IBM Interactive Experience, and seed funding to turn their concept into a viable commercial app.

For more information or to apply to participate in the challenge, visit http://www.ibmwatson.com. Interested readers can follow the conversation at @IBMMobile and @IBMWatson and check back here at graphicdesign.com for updates

]]>http://www.graphicdesign.com/article/ibm-announces-watson-mobile-developer-challenge/feed/015 Poster Examples that Reflect British Propaganda During World War IIhttp://www.graphicdesign.com/article/15-poster-examples-that-reflect-british-propaganda-during-world-war-ii/
http://www.graphicdesign.com/article/15-poster-examples-that-reflect-british-propaganda-during-world-war-ii/#commentsFri, 28 Mar 2014 11:02:16 +0000http://www.graphicdesign.com/?post_type=article&p=11892There are two lessons behind the “Keep Calm and Carry On” poster story; the first one is the strength of the visual message, especially when the message itself has a value to the audience. Visualized messages have a better chance of enduring time and lasting for years. The second lesson is the role of design in serving public aims in times of crisis.

During the World War II, both the Allies and Axis powers understood the role of media as a weapon as powerful as the heavy guns in battlefield. Although the volume of media was much more limited than that of the digital revolution, each country used all kinds of resources, including posters, books, radio stations, and cinema productions, to direct messages to the people.

• The British government provided a clear example of how to direct people in a time of war through different media, including poster design. The characteristics of poster design are to deliver the message to the audience quickly using visual elements and few words. This medium was very efficient during the war due to a number of reasons, including: It was suitable for both indoor and outdoor propaganda.
• It was easy for viewers to catch the idea even from a distance. It was easy to understand and did not include many words.
• It can utilize psychological messages to direct the audience unconsciously.

The British National Archive released more than 2,000 World War II posters to Wikimedia to give the public a chance to explore the design trends and propaganda messages that circulated during the period. Below are 15 poster examples that reflect the British propaganda during the second World War (source of images: Wikimedia).

The first poster is the “Keep Calm and Carry On;” it was part of a three-poster series, also including the “Freedom Is in Peril, Defend It With All Your Might” and “Your Courage, Your Cheerfulness and Your Resolution Will Bring Us Victory” posters.

“Keep Calm and Carry On”

The poster below is an example of propaganda aimed at inviting skilled workers to join the Royal Air Force (RAF). The RAF played a significant role in defending British lands from the Nazi air forces.

The next two posters send a clear message about the British glory and pride through their design elements and colors.

“Stand Firm!”

“It’s Up to You”

The following two posters give British soldiers self-confidence and send an indirect message, “Victory is assured.”

“We beat ‘em before, we will beat ‘em again”

“Give us the tools and –”

While in the midst of war, propaganda messages are not limited to soldiers only; the poster below sends a message to workers that their work is important too.

“Britain expects that you too, this day, will do your duty”

During World War II, the United Kingdom provided a good example of crisis management. In order to serve soldiers in battlefields with weapons and logistics, they employed a plan to reduce the consumption of resources, especially gas.

The next set of posters sent a direct message that saving resources can help the soldiers with the war effort.

“Turn that gas down”

“Paper, rags and bones to make more munitions”

“Take care of your tyres and save rubber”

“I need bones to make explosives”

“Still more bones wanted for salvage”

Another message is sent through the following two posters about German spies and how they were eavesdropping on British communications. The poster aimed to increase the awareness of spies and their impact on the war.

“Furtive Fritz is always listing, be careful what you say”

“Message to the British troops from the German intelligence”

This last poster message contains no text but delivers the message that both British and Russian troops are key factors in defeating Nazi power and achieving victory.

All of these posters provide examples of the messages that British government leaders wanted to deliver to their people and soldiers during World War II, and the posters played an essential role in their propaganda.

If you lived in these days and saw any of the above posters and how they affected people, share with us your thoughts and memories to help foster learning about design strategies during this period.

]]>http://www.graphicdesign.com/article/15-poster-examples-that-reflect-british-propaganda-during-world-war-ii/feed/115 Creative Advertising Ideas and The Concept Behind ithttp://www.graphicdesign.com/article/15-creative-advertising-ideas/
http://www.graphicdesign.com/article/15-creative-advertising-ideas/#commentsWed, 05 Mar 2014 03:30:01 +0000http://www.graphicdesign.com/?post_type=article&p=11714Behind simple ideas like the ones listed below are large amounts of research and brainstorming from a large team inside the advertising agency or company. In order to create a successful advertising idea or concept for a client’s campaign, there must be stages that link the creative and marketing teams.

The stages begin with planning the advertising campaign and go through the production phase, ending with research feedback from the consumers. Since this article is more concerned with featuring a number of creative advertising ideas, I will provide a quick overview for the different stages that every advertising campaign should go through and tips that can help in building professional creative concepts:

Stage 1: Planning the Advertising Idea

In this stage, the creative team puts the plan for the advertising campaign together, including researching the target audience and suitable marketing approach, brainstorming ideas, and writing the advertisement’s content.

At this stage, one of the tips that can help in thinking of a creative idea is to avoid the old styles. No one is looking for ordinary ads anymore. Also, it is important to build the creative idea based on different persuasive techniques such as humor, repetition, and exigency.

Stage 2: Developing the Advertising Idea

In this stage, the creative team starts to implement the planned strategy and visualize it using text, photographs, illustrations, and videos. The media plays an essential role in this stage as the photographs and lements of the design should be chosen wisely in order to reach the desired impact with the consumer.

Stage 3: Testing and Feedback from the Advertising Idea

Testing the campaign on a small group and getting feedback can help build knowledge of how the advertising campaign will perform on the market. Getting the end-consumer feedback is an important part to considering further campaigns. Now, let us review a number of the creative advertising ideas from different agencies around the world and see how they have implemented the above concepts and stages in creating their advertising campaigns.

IKEA: Valentine’s Day Chairs

This poster, created by BBH Singapore, represents Ikea’s poster campaign for Valentine’s Day. The idea tries to visualize the warm relation between men and women using Ikea products such as the chairs in the poster.

Inspiration Youth Academy: Silver Lining

The Inspiration Youth Academy campaign was created by the Johnson & Sekin Agency. The poster focuses on children’s rights for education and mental health, especially those children who have faced abuse or neglect.

Crossroads Community: Street Fare

This outdoor graffiti represents Cross Roads NYC’s campaign to help ease hunger in New York City. The graffiti shows a portrait of a hungry man to draw the attention to homeless people in the city. The campaign was created by Saatchi & Saatchi Wellness.

Topfit Fitness Club: Cable Crossover

Staedtler: Architecture

The creative advertising idea here reflects what pencils can do and how it can be the start of great architecture ideas. The idea visualizes a number of famous buildings sculpted from pencil tips. The creative campaign is created by Leo Burnett Hong Kong.

IOV National Day Against Tobacco: Cigarettes

Can you see that cigarettes disrupt your life? If not, this Brazilian campaign tried to emphasise the bad effects of cigarettes and smoking to the community by building large scale examples of cigarettes thrown in the street.

The Economist: Binoculars

The Economist created an outdoor ad representing the concept of viewing the world’s news and opinions through the magazine by displaying the reader’s hand holding the magazine as if it were a set of binoculars. The campaign was created by BBDO, New York.

Penguin Audiobooks: Oscar Wilde

Combining the idea of books and audio might be a challenging prospect. In Penguin’s Audiobooks campaign, McCann Worldgroup visualized the idea of audiobooks by creating a pair of headphones in the shape of famous author Oscar Wilde.

Choking His Future

Are you looking for a shocking idea that reflects the negative side effects of smoking on children? This one is a really talented concept showing the cigarette smoke choking a small child and his future as well. The idea is visualized by Lee Howell.

Vaccinate Your Pet Against Rabies

Language School Campaign

Is a language barrier holding your tongue from expressing your ideas and feelings? This creative campaign tried to visualize the idea through the poster below. The poster is created by Kevin Necessary.

The examples above show different creative advertising ideas and campaigns that prove that eye-catching ideas can attract the viewer or the audience and cause them to want to learn more about the product or idea that you would like to deliver.

Simple ideas can easily reach the audience and be easily understood. However, it is a real challenge to create a simple idea that has a strong impact on the market. You can refer to the above advertising ideas and the creative people behind them to learn more and inspire new trends and style for your own design. If you enjoy the above examples, share your ideas with us on which of them would have the strongest impact on an audience.

]]>http://www.graphicdesign.com/article/15-creative-advertising-ideas/feed/0Top 5 Web and Graphic Design Trends of 2013http://www.graphicdesign.com/article/top-web-graphic-design-trends-2013/
http://www.graphicdesign.com/article/top-web-graphic-design-trends-2013/#commentsMon, 24 Feb 2014 20:05:10 +0000http://www.graphicdesign.com/?post_type=article&p=11663Observing web and graphic design trends can give us a better idea of where the design world is headed, at least for the short term. Here are our top 5 web and graphic design trends of 2013. Creative Bloq had this to say about the long awaited trend: “In truth this is a trend that has been long in the making, and Apple themselves were late to the party, but we can safely call flat design one of 2013’s hottest web trends when one of the world’s leading computer and consumer electronics companies adopts it in earnest.”

In 2013, many companies scrambled to match the flat design trend by redesigning their sites, logos, and online identity. The key to successfully designing or redesigning a site to incorporate flat design is to focus on simplicity and provide clean illustrations, concise text, and utilize bright, eye-catching colors.

Infinite Scrolling

Infinite scrolling reduces the need for multiple pages and allows the user to continue scrolling through information and posts. This can help to keep them on the site longer and attract their attention and interest. Infinite scrolling has become a popular trend, but may not stand the test of time and changing styles. While infinite scrolling is ideal for some content-heavy sites, like Pinterest, many users find it frustrating that there is no end to the site and compare it to a book that you can’t finish. It can also make it difficult for users to find the exact content they need. Time will tell if this trend will last.

Parallax Scrolling

Parallax scrolling is a great way to tell a story and build momentum while seamlessly guiding users through your site. It creates an experience for the user as they scroll through the web page. Parallax scrolling makes objects that are closer to you seem like they are moving more quickly than objects that are further away, creating a 3D-like effect. It used to be utilized in video games, but has been gaining momentum online in the last year or so, particularly with infinite scrolling website designs.

Big Photography

This trend is increasing in popularity as more sites are catching onto this attractive design style. Large photographs can easily convey a particular emotion or showcase the company’s primary products or services. This is ideal for landing pages or sites with limited content.

Static Headers

With static headers, once you scroll past a certain point, the menu or header will become fixed at the top. The static headers are also often featured on the side bar and even the footer to offer convenient access to navigation. This provides a more organized solution for shoppers or customers.

We want to know what you think. What were some of your favorite web and graphic design trends last year?

]]>http://www.graphicdesign.com/article/top-web-graphic-design-trends-2013/feed/3The Shopping Channel Rides Against the Tide of Recent Trends with New Rebrandhttp://www.graphicdesign.com/article/the-shopping-channel-rebrand/
http://www.graphicdesign.com/article/the-shopping-channel-rebrand/#commentsWed, 19 Feb 2014 23:20:27 +0000http://www.graphicdesign.com/?post_type=article&p=11102Headquartered in Mississauga, ON, THE SHOPPING CHANNEL is one of Canada’s most innovative and diversified retailers and a division of Rogers Broadcasting Limited. (Source)

THE SHOPPING CHANNEL unveiled a brighter, more engaging retail experience and refreshed new look to usher in a powerful new lineup of programming segments. They revealed a new, unique on-air and online look and a new mobile app to make it even easier for customers to shop.

They have also incorporated enhanced social media on-air interaction, featuring viewer tweets and comments appearing on screen throughout each presentation, allowing viewers to engage with their favorite presenters through Facebook and Twitter.

Along with offering an entertaining new format, special-themed programming, enhanced portfolio of top brands, engaging new shopping experiences for customers, a newly redesigned studio, and more, THE SHOPPING CHANNEL also revealed a refreshed new logo. The new brighter colors and gradient logo are featured throughout TSC’s revised site.

The evolved new look includes a revitalized logo with a new color palette, styling, and 3D design to complement the brand’s evolution. There are also on-air graphic updates that increase the focus on the product, better inform the customer, and highlight the features and pricing benefits of each retail offer. The updated and redesigned website features fresh graphic treatment and layout, improved usability, ease of shopping, bilingual functionality, and the new brighter logo. They also launched the new “ShopTSC” app for iPhone, iPad and mobile website, which serves as the perfect companion to the on-air TSC experience. (Press Release)

Steven Goldsmith, President, THE SHOPPING CHANNEL stated the following about the brand’s evolution:

“Our brand evolution enhances this unique shopping advantage by reflecting changing online retail habits and desires, allowing for superior accessibility, and ultimately enabling our customers to discover more of what they want. THE SHOPPING CHANNEL will continue to be everything our customers have loved about us, but easier, brighter and even better.”

Available on-air and online 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, THE SHOPPING CHANNEL offers its customers a vast assortment of exclusive products and top brand names. TSC provides a unique and convenient shopping experience, where customers can find exceptional selections, great value, and exclusive product offers. (Press Release)

The Shopping Channel describes their average viewing audience as the following:

“Approximately 30% male and 70% female, with predominantly female customers. Our customers range in age from 25 to 55+ and live in urban/suburban households. They are also very well-informed and savvy, and they know what they want. They will often do research and price comparisons before making a purchase.”

This places an immense amount of importance on the aesthetics of the logo and website. Fortunately, the new gradient logo and refreshed website seems to be a hit with TSC’s target market. (Source)